This event report describes a talk from Patrick Barwise, a professor at the London Business School, in which he described the findings of a recent study into the amount of influence marketers exert across organisations.

This event report describes a talk from Patrick Barwise, a professor at the London Business School, in which he described the findings of a recent study into the amount of influence marketers exert across organisations.

The trust gap: marketing is mostly about the future so what CMOs report to the board tends to sound less reliable than the hard figures from sales, for example.

The power gap: most of the people needed to create a great customer experience don't report to marketing.

The skills gap: no-one can be an expert in every aspect of marketing today.

Inspiration is the biggest weapon marketers possess, Barwise argues; marketers can't tell their bosses what to do, but people can be convinced to follow a lead.

2

Five Notes On Marketing to Asia's Millennials, from an Asian Millennial

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Ng Li Ting, Warc Exclusive, December 2016

This article myth-busts common misconceptions about marketing to Asia's millennials, and provides practical advice on brand purpose, user-generated content and developing an influencer strategy.

This article myth-busts common misconceptions about marketing to Asia's millennials, and provides practical advice on brand purpose, user-generated content and developing an influencer strategy.

Brands should not make the mistake of lumping all millennials in together – the group, especially in Asia, is incredibly diverse.

Instead of crashing social media with intrusive paid posts, marketers should build a network of real people – not just the latest Instagram star - who share the same interests speak to young people like their friends would.

Brands often feel compelled to up their 'cool creds' through trending platforms and then quickly run out of things to say - brands shouldn't be on channels where they are obviously out of place.

Millennials will advocate for brands they believe in, but shun brand values that are inauthentic or an obvious marketing ploy.

3

How Zurich Insurance is using AI to deliver a better customer experience

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Brian Carruthers, Event Reports, MRMW London, September 2016

This event report describes how Zurich, the multinational insurance provider, has integrated artificial intelligence into its customer service offering.

This event report describes how Zurich, the multinational insurance provider, has integrated artificial intelligence into its customer service offering.

Most unhappy customers don't complain; if the service is not what they expected, they will walk away and will not come back - many companies delude themselves, believing to offer a superior service, while only a handful of customers agree.

Currently much of the work in insurance companies is carried out by humans, but Zurich wants to apply AI to the customer service aspect, to pull together all a customers' data in real time, offering actionable insights.

The use of AI had slashed the length of time customers spent on claims processing from around one hour to just five minutes.

This event report explores the development of social from a niche, community engagement approach, to a medium for broadcast, driving business results at scale.

Central to social media is an understanding of which platforms are filling up your target audience's attention, allowing the strategy to form around these touchpoints.

In 2016, there were 8 billion video views on Facebook, compared to 1 billion views in 2015 – an 800% increase in just one year.

Marketers need to be mindful that people consume online video content in a mobile feed differently to other media and so a different creative, technical and narrative approach is required.

Adapting for social means adapting to the fight for scarce attention; alternative narrative strategies can be powerful: Tide, the detergent brand, showed a wine stain at the start of its ad and unravelled the narrative (and product benefit), turning traditional narrative structure on its head.

Finally, the article outlines General Electric, the industrial engineering firm's, social marketing efforts.

6

Survey: Marketers, agencies remain uneasy with technology

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Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, The Market Research Event, October 2016

This event report outlines the main challenges facing brands and agencies when it comes to tapping new marketing technologies, based on a survey of executives conducted by Ipsos.

This article details how Aviva, the UK insurance brand, left behind it's successful and effective marketing and acquisition approach, by focusing of future-proofing through being digital-first.

Aviva's long-running campaign featuring actor and comedian Paul Whitehouse in a variety of guises had been very successful in driving sales and market share in the car and home insurance sector.

Aviva has 15 million customers – it's the UK's largest pensions, investments, health and insurance provider – but just 1 million buy car insurance.

Aviva had previously developed an app that offered individual drivers discounts on their insurance premiums based on how safely they drove, but then spotted an opportunity to reframe the app to help serve a higher social purpose – getting the nation to drive more safely.

These initiatives come from the 'Good Thinking' mantra, a way of adapting to new, digital behaviours, in a way that will add value to customers' relationships to Aviva.

11

Trend Watch: What Brands Can Expect From China in 2017

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Kunal Sinha, Warc Exclusive, December 2016

This article details how Aviva, the UK insurance brand, left behind it's successful and effective marketing and acquisition approach, by focusing of future-proofing through being digital-first.

This article details how Aviva, the UK insurance brand, left behind it's successful and effective marketing and acquisition approach, by focusing of future-proofing through being digital-first.

Aviva's long-running campaign featuring actor and comedian Paul Whitehouse in a variety of guises had been very successful in driving sales and market share in the car and home insurance sector.

Aviva has 15 million customers – it's the UK's largest pensions, investments, health and insurance provider – but just 1 million buy car insurance.

Aviva had previously developed an app that offered individual drivers discounts on their insurance premiums based on how safely they drove, but then spotted an opportunity to reframe the app to help serve a higher social purpose – getting the nation to drive more safely.

These initiatives come from the 'Good Thinking' mantra, a way of adapting to new, digital behaviours, in a way that will add value to customers' relationships to Aviva.

12

Tech in 2017: The marketing applications of Artificial Intelligence

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Warc Trends, Toolkit 2017

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, looks at the marketing opportunities offered by artificial intelligence (AI) including insight generation, chatbots, digital personal assistants and optimisation of media buying.

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, looks at the marketing opportunities offered by artificial intelligence (AI) including insight generation, chatbots, digital personal assistants and optimisation of media buying.

AI is a broad term that refers to the ability of computers to take on tasks that have previously required human intelligence to complete.

More than half of global CMOs expect AI to have a greater impact on marketing and communications than social media ever had.

The Dutch financial services provider ING's 'Last Rembrandt' campaign, which created a digital painting 'by Rembrandt' with the help of a deep learning algorithm, is an example of how AI can drive new forms of creativity.

13

What we know about Masterbrand Strategies

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Warc Best Practice, December 2016

This article explores the current writing and thinking on the subject of masterbrands and the strategies that propell them: a dominant, overarching frame in which various products, services, and brands, operate.

This article explores the current writing and thinking on the subject of masterbrands and the strategies that propell them: a dominant, overarching frame in which various products, services, and brands, operate.

In recent years, there has been growth in brand 'portfolios' - such as a large portfolio of diverse and varied brands sat under one masterbrand, for example, Diageo, the global alcoholic drinks company.

While there are many good reasons to create sub-brands, marketers need to take care they don’t neglect the masterbrand as this could erode brand equity over time.

"Branded house" architecture refers to those companies that use only one name – its own, masterbrand name; brands using this approach include Samsung, GE and IBM.

The likes of Unilever and Procter & Gamble have pioneered purpose-driven masterbrand campaigns that go beyond the product.

Econometric modelling can help to improve a brand portfolio’s media plan because it understands interactions within the portfolio such as the direction and size of effects between masterbrand and sub-brands.

14

Toolkit 2017: Six major marketing trends for the year ahead - Executive summary

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Warc Trends, Toolkit 2017

This article summarises Warc's Toolkit 2017, a guide to six key challenges for brands in the coming year.

Brand experience in 2017: How brands can use virtual and augmented reality

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Warc Trends, Toolkit 2017

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, explores how developments in virtual and augmented reality are offering new and increasingly viable ways for brands to emotionally engage with consumers.

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, explores how developments in virtual and augmented reality are offering new and increasingly viable ways for brands to emotionally engage with consumers.

Virtual reality (VR) immerses consumers in a 360-degree digital environment – it is most commonly experienced via a headset or head-mounted display.

Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of the physical, real-world environment, with computer-generated digital information such as sound, video or graphics.

Shopping could become one of VR's top applications, allowing connected consumers to experience a full retail environment from their own home.

In the travel sector, the technology can give would-be travellers a taste of their possible destinations: Marriott, Thomas Cook and Qantas Airways have already created promotional experiences using VR.

Brands exploring VR are advised to focus on the experience they are delivering, rather than lead with the brand.

16

ROI in 2017: Effectiveness in the digital age

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Warc Trends, Toolkit 2017

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, discusses how to achieve marketing effectiveness in the digital age by striking the right balance between close targeting and mass reach, and between short- and long-term strategies.

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, discusses how to achieve marketing effectiveness in the digital age by striking the right balance between close targeting and mass reach, and between short- and long-term strategies.

Major FMCG brands are moving away from close targeting of audiences on Facebook towards more emphasis on reach: P&G's Tide, the washing detergent, is increasing media reach by 10% to 20% in the US by shifting to more broadly appealing television shows and higher-reach digital platforms.

Research also suggests that brands are overinvesting in short-term ‘activation’ media, thereby undermining the impact of creativity and harming long-term effectiveness.

The Economist's 'Raising Eyebrows and Subscriptions' campaign shows how sophisticated digital targeting can, when applied creatively, drive sales and a revenue ROMI of over 25:1.

This event report details how Wells Fargo, the financial services provider, is aiming to reach consumers in the "new mainstream".

The firm's strategy is based on the knowledge it must reach a diverse mainstream audience, as well as various demographic, cultural and linguistic groups.

Pursuing this approach requires adopting a mindset which embeds total-marketing insights throughout the communications process.

Alongside nuanced mainstream campaigns working from various cues, segment work can enhance Well Fargo's position with specific cohorts.

18

E-commerce in 2017: How brands are going direct-to-consumer

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Warc Trends, Toolkit 2017

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, looks at the growing number of brands that are exploring direct-to-consumer (DTC) opportunities with the help of apps, buy buttons and subscription services.

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, looks at the growing number of brands that are exploring direct-to-consumer (DTC) opportunities with the help of apps, buy buttons and subscription services.

DTC is a form of e-commerce that involves a direct transaction between manufacturer and buyer, often enabled through mobile and digital channels, that allows brands in sectors such as FMCG and food to cut out the retailer 'middlemen'.

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, explores how the proliferation of video is transforming social media marketing by turning social platforms into broadcast media.

Social video involves the dissemination of content in audio-visual format across social media platforms and applications.

A growing number of brands are experimenting with live video on platforms such as Twitter's Periscope and Facebook Live, and this format tends to work best for content that is exclusive, newsworthy or that requires live audience involvement.

Some brands have concluded that quality is preferable to quantity: Procter & Gamble reviewed its social content executions and concluded that much of it was “crap”, leading to a shift away from ‘real-time’ posting towards craft and creativity.

The UK supermarket Tesco built a successful UK Christmas campaign around social video content featuring children picking out their favourite toys to emphasise its position as a toy retailer.

20

Social in 2017: What the rise of ‘dark social’ and chat apps means for marketers

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Warc Trends, Toolkit 2017

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, looks at the implications for marketers of the rise of 'dark social' seen in recent years through the proliferation of chat apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Line and WeChat.

This article, taken from the Warc Toolkit 2017 report, looks at the implications for marketers of the rise of 'dark social' seen in recent years through the proliferation of chat apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Line and WeChat.

The term ‘dark social’ refers to social sharing and conversations that are private and occur outside of what can be measured by web analytics programs.

According to a RadiumOne study, 84% of social sharing happens via dark social platforms such as email, copy-and-paste links in instant messaging apps and texting, however, 90% of social marketing investment is on public platforms – making ‘dark social’ a potential area of opportunity for marketers.

Link shorteners are a low-tech way of testing ‘dark social’ activity as shortened URLs can encourage people to share using trackable links.

AXE, the Unilever deodorant brand, successfully used WhatsApp to communicate with millennial men in Ecuador, helping it achieve an increased sales return of 33%.

21

How Barbie's 'Imagine The Possibilities' lifted sales and repaired her reputation

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Lucy Aitken, Warc Exclusive, December 2016

This paper explores how Barbie, the Matel-manufactured children's doll, adopted a new positioning that rejected the identikit image of American beauty that had defined her past, and embraced diversity and aspiration.

This paper explores how Barbie, the Matel-manufactured children's doll, adopted a new positioning that rejected the identikit image of American beauty that had defined her past, and embraced diversity and aspiration.

After three years of declining sales and intense competition from Disney’s Frozen range, demand for doll brands including Barbie helped the biggest US toy maker's net income rise 20% in the second quarter of 2016.

The strategy for the new marketing efforts, including a popular unscripted short film, developed from an interrogation of what Barbie was: a doll that showed girls that they had choices.

Instead of redefining, the strategy reminded the public of Barbie's empowering potential: through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be.

A hyper-focused social strategy drew in millennial mothers who had themselves played with Barbies as kids, but who had bought into the negative narrative - the brand's aim was to celebrate the toy's endless possibilities for storytelling.

22

What we know about TV Effectiveness

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Warc Best Practice, December 2016

This article explores the current thinking and writing on the subject of TV effectiveness, a discipline of measurement that has undergone significant change in light of TVOD and streaming.

This article explores the current thinking and writing on the subject of TV effectiveness, a discipline of measurement that has undergone significant change in light of TVOD and streaming.

As the range of metrics used to measure campaign delivery across any medium increases so the definition of effectiveness also becomes more complex.

TV advertising has always produced award winning creative executions that standout amongst the crowd and gain high consumer recognition, even though many have used often obscure, emotional messages rather than outright persuasion.

Research from Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, found that 90% of brand conversations happen offline and in fact generate web traffic rather than the other way around.

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest TV can often outperform online in terms of RoI.

This article explores the current thinking and writing on the subject of customer-centricity, the ethos that places good service and customer-experience at the heart of a brand's strategy.

Marketers need to leverage consumer insights and data such as, consumer research, brand tracking, social media usage, shopper data and sales results, to their full potential.

Customer Journey mapping provides a visual perspective of customer experiences and offers a deep contextual understanding of how customers feel about and respond to interactions and connections with the brand.

An effective customer-centric approach demands clear leadership and truly customer-focused organisations bring their customers to life internally so that people from all parts of the business emotionally engage with them.

NFU Mutual: Succession planning - Ensuring the sustainability of the farming community

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MRS Awards, Finalist, Financial Services Research, 2016

This study from NFU Mutual, a rurally-focused insurance company, details how the company tailored communications to farmers in order to give more farmers a succession plan to keep their holdings alive.

This study from NFU Mutual, a rurally-focused insurance company, details how the company tailored communications to farmers in order to give more farmers a succession plan to keep their holdings alive.

Less than half of farmers have a formal succession plan in place, despite two thirds believing it essential to guarantee the future of farming.

The brand used bespoke qualitative research: talking face to face, with empathy and understanding of the sector, getting farmers to open up, observing and listening to them, and using the insight gained to develop a service tailored to their needs.

The launch of the proposition, across traditional and social media, supported by with 'Succession Sunday' events, increased web traffic and gained Â£2m of connected sales.